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"I do. I'd like to let it all down, relax, sit in a thick, fresh atmosphere with the sun in the sky& just not worry about anything. Do you think people on Earth ever did that?" "I suppose." "I wonder if I'd make a good mother. Having babies, I mean." "Probably," he said. "I've just started thinking about being a mother. My thoughts& I've been young for so long, it's hard to imagine actually being grown-up." "Ariel, I'm not thinking too clearly right now. We should talk later." "If you want. I don't mind if you don't answer. Do you mind listening?" "I don't know if I mind anything right now." "All right," she said. "I'll wait. But we're going to be so busy." "That will be good," Martin said. "Not having time to think." "Do you have a voice& " She trailed off. "It sounds so silly, like something Rosa might say. Do you have a voice that tells you what's going to happen?" "No," Martin said. "I think I do. We're going to survive, Martin." "Good," Martin said. "I'll be quiet." She lay back and folded her hands on her stomach. Martin looked down at her from his seat against the wall. "She's not as pretty as Theresa," Theodore said, standing over them. "But she's honest. She's resourceful. You could do a lot worse." "Shut up," Martin said. Ariel opened her eyes languidly. "Didn't say anything." "Not talking to you," Martin said, slumping until his legs bumped hers, then sidling up next to her. He reached out and hugged her. She tensed, then sighed and relaxed, turned her face toward his, looked him over from a few centimeters, eyebrows arched quizzically. "I know I'm not as pretty as Theresa," she whispered. Her vulnerability pricked deep beneath his lassitude. "Shh," he said. "You two were good," she said. He patted her shoulder. "Sleep," he said. She snuggled closer, gripping his hand with her long fingers. Trojan Horse ended super deceleration at ten percent light-speed. Volumetric fields lifted. They would coast for five days, then begin a more leisurely deceleration to enter the system. The first response to their signal came on tight-beam transmission from the fourth planet, content simple enough: a close match, with subtle and interesting variations, of Hakim's repetitive code. The first twelve prime numbers were counted out in binary. Martin examined the message while still dazed from the constraints. Simple acknowledgement, without any commitment or welcome. Salutary caution in a forest full of wolves. Or supreme confidence mixed with humility& Hakim sent another message, this time with samples of human and Brother voices extending greetings, his own voice counting numbers, and a list of mathematical and physical constants. Martin ate his lunch of soup in a squeeze bulb and a piece of cake as he looked over fresh pictures of the fourth planet. Huge and dark, touched with streamers of water vapor cloud, wide black oceans and lighter gray continents. Page 208 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html "When will the other ships finish super deceleration?" " Shrike in fifty-four minutes, and Greyhound in one hour, fifty-two minutes," Hakim said. "We can noach them now, if you wish, of course." "No need," Martin said. "Let them recover first. We need time to work on our disguise. We need to rehearse." "Sounds like the class play," Erin said, moving in for a closer look at the projected fourth planet. "We'll follow the script closely," Martin said. He looked around the compartment, making sure the Brothers had recovered from deceleration. They took the process harder than humans and needed two hours disassembled to bring themselves out of funk. Eye on Sky came forward, Paola at his side. He smelled of some exotic spice Martin couldn't identify: wine and cinnamon, hot resin. "We are ready," Eye on Sky said. The bridge of Double Seed took shape, Brothers and humans orchestrating the final practical and decorative touches. The crew compartment made sleeping nets for humans and ring beds for Brothers a series of hoops within which a braid could disassemble and the cords could hang, one or two claws attached to each ring. Silken Parts and Paola translated the proceedings for all the Brothers. "We'll have four more days to rehearse," Martin said. "Hakim and Sharp Seeing will keep track of our interchanges with whoever's down there. We'll have an all-crew briefing every twelve hours. If you're not on duty, you're free to contribute to the background. Ariel and Paola will coordinate with Scoots Fast." "Scoots Fast has requested a name change," Paola said. "He wants to be called Long Slither. It's more accurate. And more dignified." "Fine by me," Martin said. He followed Hakim and Eye on Sky into the noach "inner sanctum," a small interior compartment screened against outside examination. There was barely room for the three of them. Eye on Sky contacted Shrike first. At the extreme edge of noach range, text messages were most reliable, and Shrike's message was projected flat before them. Silken Parts translated the Brother text, a short row of closely spaced curved lines: "We we are safe and still joined in the giant braid. Swift work and firm sand." The last contact with [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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